I take an extensive look at the Ficihp / BQAA (I think they rebranded?) keyboard and monitor combo, and try it with a bunch of different devices and operating systems.
Category Archives: Computers
Mouse Repair – Razer Deathadder Left-Handed Edition Scroll Wheel
I repair the scrollwheel on a Razer Deathadder Left-Handed mouse after dropping a hard drive on it. Check the chapters to skip right to the solution.
This is after doing a hardware button swap on that same mouse: https://youtu.be/n00ioWfDE9k
Automatic Transfer Switches! (Feat. Server Technology Fail-Safe and Tripp Lite PDUMH20ATNET)
I look at automatic transfer switches from Server Technology, Inc. and TrippLite and describe why you might want one.
Exploring the Sonic Foundry Mediasite Recorder from 2008ish
I open up this device from the past to see what it was all about, and how useful the chassis might be for modern purposes.
This is the edited version of a live stream I did almost 2 years ago (just got around to it), so if you want to see all the faffing that went into it, a recording of double the length is available here: https://youtu.be/4_xDG0fsMU4
How and Why to Backup your Data
This is another backing-up-your-data rant, but even though I’m posting this second it technically comes first in the order of shooting. And I think it’s a bit more informative and organized. So if you only watch one rant about backups this year, make it this one.
Viva 2018.
Creating a Backup Server from a HP DL380 G8 (StoreOnce 2900) | Hardware to Software RAID Conversion | Rambling
I converted an older HP DL380 Gen8 (aka a StoreOnce 2900) from using a hard RAID controller to an HBA for software RAID. The conversion is simple, but the video is long af because I spend a lot of time discussing the “why” more than the “how”.
In this excerpt from the below video, I talk about the total cost of ownership of RAID arrays.
This describes why I created the RAID HDD TCO Calculator which helps you figure out the total cost of ownership of a RAID array, inclusive of stuff like electrical and cooling costs.
Teclast F7 Plus Review – Comparison to Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 2
I take a look at the Teclast F7 Plus which I bought on a whim to see if a cheap laptop could compete with my similarly-valued X1 Carbon Gen 2 from 2014. Turns out it could not, except in battery life (spoilers).
I actually purchased the laptop about a year ago and started making a video about it, but the farked around without working on it in the interim. Hence, we are here now.
For some reason I did a full walk-through of the Teclast’s rather robust BIOS, which you can see here:
One-Netbook’s OneGX1 Pro – Didn’t Buy it for Gaming (with Teardown)

I’ll admit I was charmed by the full-sized specs of this diminutive laptop (or netbook, as you will), and I have a thing for tiny laptops in general. So I couldn’t resist it when Banggood offered it up to me in a full-on tracking cookie assault of marketing. (That being said, I purchased it from Amazon to avoid paying duties.) It’s a solidly built little machine, and a solid performer save for one thing: It’s not what I would consider to be a gaming computer. Though it is indeed sold as one, what with it’s somewhat-included side controllers and advertising to that effect. Sure, it can play some games just fine, but without some kind of even halfway-decent (even mobile-optimized) … Continue reading
QILIPSU Outdoor Enclosure with a Computer Inside… Because.
This is the prelude to a future project, wherein I stick an ancient Atom motherboard into an unpronounceable QILIPSU outdoor enclosure. (The enclosure seems to be pretty good, though!)
You can access the computer here for fun and no practical reason whatsoever: http://outdoor.s.co.tt